3rd week in Voimala

Introduction

This week, was my last week in Voimala, because next week, i would start my traineeship in Fysiotikka. Well, I was in the same groups as last week, and in two new groups, one in Senioripiha, which was a place with people with memory diseases and one in IkaONT group, which was a discussion about thesis of some students from nursery, social servises and physiotherapy department.

Main part

1. Customer's Home visit

My last time was in the customer's home. I felt sad, because this elderly woman, didn't have other physiotherapists or nurses to take care and help her to increase her muscle strength and endurance. She really liked us and wanted from us to continue coming to her home. This time, we measured her functionality with SPPB Test (Short Physical Performance Battery), which is an objective assessment tool for evaluating lower extremity functioning in older persons.

So, this test included timed squats on chair, timed upright balance with a) Anatomy support base with legs at shoulder height b) Small anatomy support base c) Small gait possition d) Possition with one leg in front of the other and timed 4 metres walking. 

a) Anatomy support base with legs at shoulder height
b) Small anatomy support base
c) Small gait possition
d) Possition with one leg in front of the other

The customer had quite much difficulties in that test, especially in the timed chair squats and the timed balance in upright possition. Although, she tried for her best!

2. Hip fractures group (Letkeät lonkat)

1st visit:

This weekend, we did planty exercises to the 3 elderly customers. First of all, they were asked a quiz, associated with:

• some kind of obstacles inside of different rooms into the house 
• the types of different helping of special home equipments
• the disadvantages of carpets that act negative to client's falls
• preventing falls
• improvement of safety at home

After that quiz, we went to the gym and did again exercises as the previous week, for increasing their physical condition, muscle strength and endurance. I had one client, and gave her her own programm. The programm included the following:

Warming up with static bicycle

Level: 1

Sets & Repeats: 5 minutes

Adduction

Level: 20kg

Sets & Repeats: 3x10

Abduction

Level: 10kg & 13kg

Sets & Repeats: 2x10 & 1x10

Kinesis Row exercises

Level: 1kg

Sets & Repeats: 3x12

Leg curl (Hamstrings)

Level: 15kg & 18kg & 20kg

Sets & Repeats: 1x10 & 1x10 & 1x10

Leg extension (Quadriceps)

Level: 10kg

Sets & Repeats: 3x10

Abdominals

Level: 13kg & 15kg

Sets & Repeats: 1x10 & 2x10

With all the exercises, my client felt very good and was quiet strong and patient. After the dynamic exercises, she did some stretching with theraband to the suleus and gastrocnemious,  flexion/extension of knee dragging her leg on the floor,  flexion/extension of the core (right/left side) and breathing exercises.

2nd visit:

The second time, the customers where given again a questionaire about the equipment of their houses, like fire alarm etc. Everything was in Finnish language, as always, so i did not understand a lot of things, but the students tried to translate to me in English!

After that questionaire, we went to a room with some exercise equipments, and did balance exercises to the clients. They did the same balance exercises as the previus week. So, we started with anatomy support base with legs at shoulder height, small anatomy support base, small gait possition, possition with one leg in front of the other (with open and closed eyes). Then, they did the Berg Test and some functional and balance exercises on soft pedal balance trainer yoga mat. My client was quiet good with that exercises, but she needed to have support from somewhere, to prevent from falling.

soft pedal balance trainer yoga mat

Then, we finished with a small cool down and some stretching exercises for relaxation.

3. "Good Heart" group (Hyvä Sydän)

In this group, we went to a room, where the clients were sitting either on chairs, either on big yoga balls. I was with nursing students, who gave questionaires to the clients. This questionaire included questions about 

1. The dairy of the clients nutrition, and if it effects on their choise. 
2. The time between their meals, and if it was good or bad.
3. What were the good points of their nutrition.
4. What was their biggest dilemma.
5. Which things they could eat better.
6. Which kind of situations do they have when they are eating (for example, are they busy or calm during the meal etc.)
7. Their situation in rush and calm hours.

Finally, after all this questions, the 14 elderly people did cooling down exercises on the yoga ball, listening to a tradition finnish song (hummani hei), and in the end some stretching.

It was really enjoyable!

4. Senioripiha

Senioripiha was a place in the city center of Joensuu, in which where some elderly people with memory diseases like alzhaimer. Our purpose was to try on them a new electronics, and especially a new kind of GPS. This GPS is very important and helpful for finding people with memory diseases, on the map. So, we tryed that system. We went outside for walk with an elderly woman who had alzhaimer, wearing this new electronic and her relatives where watching from the phone where we were going with her. The system worked and showed all the route that we went!
This program which is called IkäOTe, is a program that is at cooperation with Karelia-UAS, and belongs to Joensuu city. That system was an innovation to the people with memory diseases and was really exciting!

5. Perheentalo

I went to Perheentalo 2nd time during my traineeship in Voimala, with other physiotherapy students. We took care of children and especially for me, I had a 5 years old girl, and was playing and entertaining her. Our purpose was to notice the motor control and motor learning of the children and if something was strange in their development. Nothing exciting in this visit, because we did not do anything as physiotherapists, only taking care of the children!

6. Memory diseases group (Muistin virrassa)

At this weekend, we went to the Gym with 3 elderly women and 3 elderly men. In the warming time, each of us showed his own exercise, either dynamic, either static (like stretching). Then, me and other 2 physiotherapy students, showed balance exercises to our clients. These exercises included:

1. static stabilazation on the ground with 1 and 2 legs
2. static stabilazation on the soft pedal balance trainer yoga mat or on the balance disc with 1 and 2 legs
3. dynamic stabilazation on the ground with 1 and 2 legs, doing squats
4. dynamic stabilazation on the soft pedal balance trainer yoga mat or on the balance disc with 1 and 2 legs

After that, we continued with strenght exercises for the upper limbs. The clients did rowing holding a stick with some kg, from 4-8kg.
At the end, we did stretching on the muscles of whole body (upper-lower-core).

NOTE!!! There was only one client (elderly man), who was not interested to all the exercises, and did not do almost nothing. He was sitting on the chair all the time, because he was bored and did not want to try the exercises. Only when I motivated him to do the exercises he did some of them, but not for long time, because after a while he quited and was sitting again on the chair, just watching us. I was really surprised of that behavior, because I wanted the best for him, but he did not.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my traineeship in Voimala was a good and interesting experience. I did lots of things, in different groups, with students from other departments also, and with different kind of clients. In general, we had a very good cooperation and in my opinion, the treatments went smoothly and with care!